Swiss Pavilion and Eduardo Souto de Moura Win Golden Lions at Venice Architecture Biennale
On May 26, 2018, the 16th Venice Architecture Biennale, overseen by Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara from Grafton Architects with the theme 'Freespace,' announced its major awards. The Swiss Pavilion, featuring 'Svizzera 240: House Tour' by architects Alessandro Bosshard, Li Tavor, Matthew van der Ploeg, and Ani Vihervaara, received the Golden Lion for Best National Participation. Eduardo Souto de Moura was recognized with the Golden Lion for Best Participant for his aerial photography. The Silver Lion was awarded to Jan de Vylder, Inge Vinck, and Jo Taillieu, while Special Mentions went to Andra Matin, Rahul Mehrotra, and the British Pavilion. Kenneth Frampton received the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement, with Biennale President Paolo Baratta highlighting architecture's societal significance.
Key facts
- The 16th Venice Architecture Biennale is curated by Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara of Grafton Architects under the theme 'Freespace.'
- The Golden Lion for Best National Participation was awarded to the Swiss Pavilion for 'Svizzera 240: House Tour.'
- The Swiss team consists of Alessandro Bosshard, Li Tavor, Matthew van der Ploeg, and Ani Vihervaara, selected via a call by Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia.
- The Golden Lion for Best Participant in the main exhibition was awarded to Eduardo Souto de Moura, a 2011 Pritzker Prize laureate.
- The Silver Lion for an emerging participant was awarded to Belgian trio Jan de Vylder, Inge Vinck, and Jo Taillieu.
- Special Mentions were given to Andra Matin, Rahul Mehrotra of RMA Architects, and the British Pavilion.
- The Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement was awarded to Kenneth Frampton.
- Biennale President Paolo Baratta stated that 'architecture makes us citizens.'
Entities
Artists
- Eduardo Souto de Moura
- Yvonne Farrell
- Shelley McNamara
- Alessandro Bosshard
- Li Tavor
- Matthew van der Ploeg
- Ani Vihervaara
- Jan de Vylder
- Inge Vinck
- Jo Taillieu
- Andra Matin
- Rahul Mehrotra
- Kenneth Frampton
- Paolo Baratta
- Caterina Porcellini
Institutions
- Grafton Architects
- Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia
- RMA Architects
- Biennale di Venezia
- Artribune
Locations
- Venice
- Italy
- Zurich
- Switzerland
- Portugal
- Belgium
- Indonesia
- United Kingdom